've just taken a break from editing some graphics for a client’s Instagram and made myself a smoothie. 1 whole orange, half a galia melon, a handful of blueberries, some frozen mango and a small piece of ginger, with a touch of water for consistency. In 15 seconds of whizzing power, I’ve got a healthy snack in front of me, and 2 sips later, I feel energised and ready to get back to work.
It’s got me thinking about juice. No, not the delicious fruity kind that’s staring at me on my desk, but the creative kind. Making a physical smoothie is dead easy (all hail the Magic Bullet!)… but when you’re championing a whole different bunch of startups all day every day, where does inspiration come from?
I’m gonna share my pearls of wisdom, tips and tricks that I find useful – maybe they’ll help you…
A clear mind is a happy mind, and when it’s unfrazzled of all the tensions and worries that weigh us down, that’s when the ideas have space to appear. I try to begin my own day with a huge dose of calm. The chaos of the morning is done, the school run is complete, and it’s time to focus. What you decide to do, and more importantly what you have time for, during that moment of calm is entirely up to you, but it’s important to start the day on the right footing.
Some people go to the gym at the crack of dawn, some do a spot of housekeeping, some go for a quick jog around the block, some crank the radio up and have a really loud sing-song (oh – only me?!!), some read a book/newspaper and some only have time for a deep inhale of breath once they’ve reached their desks. Whatever it is, finding that moment (however long) to clear your head of clutter and shift your brain into focus mode, starts you off in the most productive way.
Think of creativity like a young seedling – it’ll die in a crowded bed, but give it room and nurture it, and it will grow and flourish. Your mind is exactly the same. It needs a healthy dose of TLC – so keep yourself healthy, ease off the chocolate-munching while working, drink plenty of water, squeeze in some exercise if you can and most importantly leave all the worries behind.
Keeping up with the latest goss ensures you stay current and relevant. So, (sssshh don’t tell your kids this) but screen-time can actually be beneficial! Yes, I said it. Having a browse through social media, reading online blogs, checking out the latest news stories – it all helps to keep you aware of what’s going on in the world. And that all helps with generating ideas.
As part of my own work, I spend an enormous chunk of time researching startups. Ok, so this comes easy to the blazon team, cos we’re all a bit obsessed by new business ideas and finding out what ingenious founders are up to. But keeping an eye on global trends, new innovations, technological breakthroughs and the hottest must-haves – that all helps with the job. And it broadens your mind to explore what else is going on around you.
I personally find that my best ideas come up when I least expect them, and at complete random moments. And often I will get a spark of inspiration from speaking to someone else. Whether that’s someone on my team, or a friend, or a family member, or someone at the local shops, or a passionate startup founder. Keeping yourself open to talking with others can lead to great discussions and debates, and from these you can get a whole host of fresh perspective.
Our lives have become so busy these days (you’ll regularly hear me say that 24 hours in a day just aren’t enough, and trust me, I mean it!), and often we can become quite one dimensional. Remote working jobs, online shopping, hectic lifestyles, digital advancements – there’s so much preventing us from simply stepping outside our homes and exploring the great outdoors in today’s modern fast-paced world.
But the more you can interact with other people, and embrace the diversity, culture, opinions and ideas that’s all around us, the more well-rounded you can become as a person. And from here, there’s no stopping you. Spark of inspiration? More like projectile ingenuity!!
So, get up, make a smoothie, take a sip, and be inspired!
"My passion is creativity and thinking outside of the box. I’m always on the lookout for something new, something quirky, something exciting. Creating Blazon was always about focusing on others – if someone’s onto a good idea, I’m excited to fly the flag and herald their originality and success on their behalf and find a wonderfully unique way to tell everyone about them. Startups that ooze ingenuity and innovation – we wanna hear from you!"
